Way-bill carriage.



C. A. MUMURRAY.

WAY BILL CARRIAGE.

.APPLICATION FILED 1120.1, 191s.

WIT@

AC. A.` MGMURRAY.

WAY BILL CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. l, 1913.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.`

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O CO

WITNESSES:

. C. A. McMURRA-Y.

WAY BILL CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.1. 1913A 1,1 l 9,440. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WAM/LL WITNESS/ES.l I8 /N VEN TOR.

, 1. www Y.

CHARLES A. MOMURRAY, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

WAY-BILL CARRIAGE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

rammed Dec. `1, 1914.

Application led December 1, 1913. Serial No` 804,044.

To all yw/mm it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Meh/Ipn- RAY, a citizen of the United States, residmg at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in lVay-Blll Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a typewriting machine for waybills.

It will be recalled that an order has been issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission which requires that all express companies use the same forms of vwaybills. Moreover, it will be understood that said order requires a different form to* be used, depending on whether the waybill is used 1n connection with a collect shipment or a prepaid shipment, and also that it requires waybills to be prepared in duplicate with an additional label, said label being a duplicate of one-half of the bill.

It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide a ty )ewriting machine which is adapted for lling in'both prepaid and collect waybills in sets, each set` consisting of label, original waybill and olicecopy of waybill., v

T he. second object of my invention is to provide a typewriting apparatus which shall have a plurality of platens, any one of which may be put into position to cooperate with the type bars as desired.

A final object of my invention resides in the particular arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described.

With these and other objects 1n 'view the .apparatus embodying my invention comprises a typewriting machine which may be of a standard type, lult in which the ordinary carriage is replaced by a special carringe having two sets of rolls thereon, each set having three rolls, one for the form of the original waybill, one for the form of the office copy of the waybill and the other for the form of the label. (ln this special carriage there is also provided a plurality of platens which are mounted so as to swing about a common axis. and either of which may be brought into position to coperate with the type bars ofthe typewriting machine, in which case the remaining platen or platens are inactive. Each platen, it will be understood, receives the paper from one of the sets of rolls carried on the carriage.

In the accompanying drawings F igure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. l with the bills torn away and only the upper printing roller shown for purposes of clearer illustration. Fig. 3 1s a detail view showing a front elevation of the roller, the ribbon feed mechanism, and reverse lever for the feed. Fig. 4 is a detail view in cross section of the printing roller, at the printing point. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the right hand end of one of the rollers and the line spacing mechanism associated therewith.

Throughout the separate views the same part is designated by the same reference character.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 is a typewriter mechanism and since this may be of any standard type in which the type bars are arranged below the car riage position,` I have indicated the same only diagrammatically. It will be. understood, of course, that such typewriter 'mechanism is provided with a suitable nest of key bars, one of which is indicated in dotted lines at 2, and such typewriter mechanism is universally supplied with a ribbon such as 3 and appropriate mechanism, not shown, for shifting the same during operation. Such typewriter mechanism also comprises a gear wheel such as 4 which is controlled by a suitable escapement mechanism 5 operated in unison with the type bars, and which wheel 1 controls the movement of the carriage by engagement with a rack.

In adapting the ordinary typcwriting mechanism for use 1n my machine, I remove the usual carriage of the typewriting machine and supply a special carriage which I designate as a whole by the numeral (il The carriage 6 comprises two upright frame members such as 77 which extend along opposite sides of the carriage and which are' )ournaled together at the bottom by means of slides such as 8-8 which have dovetailed engagement with the fixed guide members 9 4). It will be understood that the carriage 6 is supported on the members 8-8 and that these members are adapted to slide on the members 9. The motive power for producing such sliding motion is provided by a coil.spring, not shown, which is con tained in the vertical cylinder 10, (see Fig. 2) said cylinder being connected to the carriage 6 by means of a flexible band such as 11. The spring in the cylinder 10 acts constantly to coil the band 11 around the cylinder but it is restrained by the engagement of the gear Wheel 4 with the rack bar 12 which is carried on the carriage 6 between the frames 7-7. It will be understood, however, that when one of the keys of the typewriting machine is struck the ordinary escapement mechanism of the typewriter allows the wheel 4 to turn slightly so that the carriage moves a space of one letter.

Itwill be seen that the frames 7-'7 and the guides 9-9 are mounted at the rear of the typewriter mechanism, but I provide two arms 13 and 14 which are preferably integral with the frames '7-7, and which project forwardly from the side frames at a level higher than that of the frame of the typewriting machine. The rack bar 12 is placed intermediate the arms 13 and 14, and the arms will be supported on the rod 15 which is intended to be supported by the frame of the typewriter. If desired, also a second band 16 may be provided which will be actuated by a spring operated cylinder not shown. By having) two bands such as 11 and 16, each operated y a suitable cylinder, there is no tendency for the carriage to crainp in its guide.

At the extreme forward ends the arms 13 and 14 are connected by a bow-shaped member 17 and intermediate the member 17 and the armsand preferably integral therewith, are two segmental frames 18 and 19. The segmental frames 18 and 19 are at opposite sides of the carriage'as clearly shownin Fig. 2, 18 being carried by the arm 14 and 19 by the arm 13. It will be understood that these frames have the same form except that the frame 19 is of greater diameter than the frame 18 for a purpose which will appear later. The frames 18 and 19 form semicircles and at the centers of curvature of the frames are two pivots 20 and 21, respectively, which project inwardly from the frames 18 and 19 and which have pivoted thereon two hubs 22 and 23. From each hub project two arms24 and 25, respectively, the arm 24 from the hub 22 being in alinement with the arm 24 of the hub 23, and so also for the arms 25. Intermediate the arm 24 is pivoted a roller platen such as 26 which is carried by a central rod 27, the rod 27 projecting through segmental slots such as 28 (see Fig. 1) there being one such slot in each of the frames 18 and 19. The rod 27 has fixed thereto a spacing ratchet 29 and also a hand wheel 30, the members 29 and 30 berametto ing at the end of the rod 27. At the opposite end of the rod 27 I provide a ribbon winding mechanism 31 which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3.

The mechanism 31 comprises a bevel gear 32 which is fixed to the end of the rod 27. A bracket arm 33 extends out from the frame 19 being conveniently securedfthereto by the pivot 21 previously mentioned, said bracket arm carrying a shaft 34 which is placed substantially at right angles to the rod 27, and which carries two ribbon wheels 35 and 36, the ribbon wheels being provided with bevel gears such as 37 and 38, respectively. It will be understood that the ribbon wheels 35 and 36 are free to revolve on the central shaft 34 and that the bevel gears 37 and 38 vare separated by a sleeve 39 which is adapted to shift the gears and ribbon wheels longitudinally of the shaft 34, but which allows them to turn without impediment.

The sleeve 39 is pinned to a small operating lever 40 pivoted to the bracket 33. By the arrangement just mentioned either of the gears 37 and 38 can be brought into contact with the gear 32 so that as the platen is turned to provide for the line spacing one or the other of the ribbon wheels is operated by the gear 32 to wind the ribbon thereon. The ribbon is designated as 41 and leads ,all

sul;

from one of the ribbon wheels, such as 35, f

through a slot 42 in the frame 19, this frame being extended beyond the ribbon 41 to provide a protection therefor. The ribbon is then led through a guide 43 next to the frame 19 and then runs the length of the platen 26 through a second guide 44 around which it is doubled and then carried back through the guide 43 to the ribbon wheel 36. In this way one ribbon is adapted foruse in giving impressions on two separate sheets of paper and, when Vused in combination with the ordinary ribbon 3 of the type-p writing mechanism, as in my invention, and

as illustrated in Fig. 4, it will be seen that I :1,10

can make three copies without the use of carbons, all of the copies being originals, so far. as the typing is concerned. 'y

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the arms carry a second platen which is the equivalent of the platen 26 and which has the same kind of ratchet wheel, hand wheel and ribbon mechanism associated therewith. Consequently, it will not be necessary to describe the arrangement of the second platen as 51 in the frames 18 and 19, the rods 50 carrying additional pressures rollers such as 52, (see Fig. 4).

It will be understood that either ot" the platen rollers may be thrown into position to cooperate with the type bars, as illustrated in Fig. l, and consequently I provide -an arm 53 which projects from one of the arms 24 on the side of the frame next the segmental frame 18, the arm 53 being provided with an aperture at its outer end which is adapted to register with the 'pin such as 54 which is normally thrown into engagement by a spring 55 so as to enter the aperture in the arm 58 and hold the same 1n position so that the type bars will coperate properly with the platen.

As mentioned in the preliminary description of the machine, I provide two sets ot rollers, the rolls ot' one set being numbered 56, 57 and 58, while the rolls ot' the other set are numbered 56', 57 and Each oi'v these rolls is mounted between the frame members 7-7 one of the frame members carrying pins such as 59 which are fixed and which project into sockets in one end of the rollers while the other of the members 7 carries a number of pins 60-6O which are slidable in the same and which are normally pressed in by springs so as to hold the rolls in position, the two sets of pins 59 and 60 providing a pivotal mounting for the rolls but one from which the rolls can be easily removed. lhe rolls 5h,

57 and 58 carry webs which are 'fastened between the pressure rollers such as 49 and 52 and the platen :26. In like manner the rolls 55, 57 and 58 carry Webs which are led to the second platen between it and the corresponding pressure roller, first passing over a guide roller such tis-61. The webs carried on these rollers are perforated or marked so that they can be torn olf 'as they are filled in and it will be understood that the webs are printed in blank, the web on rolls 56 and 56 being printed for the label, that on 57 and 57v tor the original of the waybill and those on 58 and 58 for the otliee copy of the waybill. These webs are passed together' around the platens led from the rolls 58 and 58 being next to the platen, then the webs on roll 57 and then the webs on-roll Consequently the webs from rollers 56 and 57 and 5G and 57 can be torn o'tl' as they are filled in while the web :from 58 can be allowed to pass back over the rollers and 'tall behind the machine as indicated by and 70. In order to tear Off the two outer webs conveniently I provide a member 7l which is curved transversely in a manner similar to that of the printing platens and which extends parallel to the printing platen which is in the print-- ing position. The member 7l is carried at the end of two arms such as 7:2--72 which are pivotally connected to the frame portion 17. The arms 72 are ot' such length that the member 71 is held somewhat above the central line of the printing platen in a position such that it will be seen that the web can be readily torn by pullingr thel same backward and slightly downward. Also it will be seen that owing to the pivotal mounting oi the arms 72 the member 71 can be easily thrown bacl: out of the way. It will be understood that the rollers 5G, 57 and 58 carry forms `tor either the prepaid or collect waybill whereas the other set of rollers carry the forms for the collect or prepay. as the case may be. l 30 The line spacing mechanism is best illustrated in Fig. 5 and I find that a mechanism similar to that of the old Remington inachine is adapted tor my purpose. `.l consequently provide a handle such as 8O l'or spacing the lines and also for returning the carriage at the end of the line. The handle 8() is pivoted at the point 81 which point is supported from the right end ot' the member 17. The handle has integral therewith an arm 82 which projects upwardly and has pivoted thereto at its upper end, a bell lever 83, one arm of which projects toward the wheel 29 and is adapted to engage the teeth ot the wheel when the arm 8() is pulled outwardly. The short end of the bell lever 88 projects downwardlv and the normal position oit the bell lever and the consequent spacing of the platen can be adjusted by means of a cam member 8l which is pivoted to an arm 85. the arm being thrown b v a spring so that member 8l bearsI against the short arm ot' the lever 83. 'l`he handle 80 and arm 82 are also actuated by a suitable springso as to be normally withdrawn from the wheel 29. 1With the arrangement shown and described there issullicient clearance between thewheel 29 and the bell lever 88 to permit the platens to be swung from one position to the other. The ratchet wheel 29 cooperates with a brake or pawl 8G which is normally held. against the wheel by means ol' a suitable spring and which is pivoted on the end ol the rod 5l). The member 8f3 may be thrown out ot the way of wheel 29 by means of a bell lever such as 87.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when it is desired to write ofi' a prepay waybill the corresponding printing platen is placed in the operative position, the other being automatically thrown out of the way. The prepay platen is then kept in the operative position until it necessary to'write a collect waybill whereupon the other platen is thrown into the operative position. l have thus provided an apparatus which is. :ulapted to lill out either one oi a plurality ot' printed 'l'orms and. at the same time` make a duplicate iu'ipression of the form Written and that Without the use or carbon papers.

It will be understood that While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I do not Wish to be limited thereto but contemplate all such variations and modications of the arrangementdescribed herein as are mechanically equivalent thereto.

Having,- thus described my what I claim is l. In a Waybilling machine in combination, a single set of type bars, a plurality ot' platens mounted to move bodily around a given axis, and means whereby said platens may be fastened in eitherone of two positions to cooperate with said type bars.

2. In a Waybilling machine in comb1nation, a plurality' of rolls having Webs thereon printed for prepay bills, a second set of rolls having webs thereon for collect Waybills, and means 'for typewriting on the Webs of either set of rolls as desired.

3. ln a waybilling machine in combination, a plurality oi" rolls having Webs thereon printed for prepay Waybills, a second set of rolls having! Webs thereon for collect waybills, a pair of platens to Which the Webs on each set of rolls are led individually, a. single set of type bars, and means whereby' said platens may be placed so that either of them shall cooperate with said type bars as desired.

1. In a typewriting mechanism in combination, a platen mounted to revolve about a central axis and also about an exterior axis, a ribbon mechanism mounted substaninvention,

tially in alinement With the central axis of said platen and also mounted so as to re- 4e rolve about the same exterior axis, and means for actuatingv said ribbon mechanism when said platen is actuated for line spacing.

In a Waybilling machine in combina-" tion, a typewriting mechanism provided with a single set of type bars, a pair of; platens mounted to rotate about a central axis and also about a common exterior axis, a ribbon mechanism associated with each 50 of said platens and adapted to move about the same exterior' axis, means for holding g said platens so that either one of them may cooperate with said type bars as desired, and a plurality of sets of rolls carrying paper there being one set of rolls for each. platen.

ln a typeivriting mechanism in combination, a plurality of platens each of which is mounted to revolve about a central axis also about a common exterior axis; a carriage in which said platens are mounted, a plurality of rolls mounted on said carriage' for `carrying webs to cooperate with one of said platens, and a second set of rolls mounted on said carriage for carrying Webs to eooperate with the other ot' said platens, a single set of type bars, and means whereby said platens may be placed so that either of them shall coperate with said type bars as desired. y

ln testimony whereof l affix my signa ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. licMll'RRAY. l-Vitnesses A. S. MCLUNDIE, l W. P. MCCLATCHEY. 

